Clamp for seat construction



.lime 24, 1930. Q E STEVENS 1,768,427

CLAMP FOR SEAT CONSTRUCTION original Filed Feb. 14, 1927A Patented June24, 1930 L CLARENCE E. s'rEvEns, or CLEVELAND, omo,

CORPORATION, F CLEVELAND., GEIQ-VA CORPQRATION 0F DELAWARE cLAivrr ForJsEn'r lcons'ritncrroiv Original application filed February 14, 1327,

February 6, 1928.

rlhis invention relates to a clamp for seaty structures particularly,although it has utility in adjustable standards or posts tor otherarticles of furniture, being designed particularly for school seats anddesks.

The present invention is a division of my copending application SerialNo. 167,882, filed February 14, 1927.

One oi the objects of the invention is the provision of automaticlocking means tor holding the seat post or the like in adjustedposition.

Another object is the provision of a cornbined locking and rotationpreventing means for the seat or desk post. y

The above objects are attainedY very effectively by my inventionwhich-may be here briefly summarized as consisting lin certain noveldetails oi construction and combinations and arrangements ot parts whichwill be described in the specification and set forth in the appendedclaims. Y f

ln the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view or" a seatand desk unit;

l Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing themeans which l employ for locking the posts in adjusted position as wellas 'for preventing their rotation; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview taken substantially upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. j

ln Fig. 1, the seat is a part of a unit which includes also a desk 11,the scat and desk being joined by a U-shaped tubular standard 12 withupstanding ends which receive, respectively, a seat supportingpcst 13and a desk supporting post-14:, which posts slidingly engage theends of'the tube and are adapted to be held at any desired elevation therein.The lower and horizontal portion of the tube is held slightly above thefloor level by legs 15 and 16 which are secured to the upper'portionsoi' the tube and project laterally therefrom. lt should be here statedthat my invention is not confined to a seat and desk unit but may beemployed equally well in seats Vand desks as separate units.l

The seat 10 is swivelled to turn upon the post 13, the latter remainingfixed. While the particular means illustrated for provid- 'serial No.167,882; Divided and this application inea Serial N0. 252,105.

ing this swivel mounting constitutes nopart or my present invention,being covered in the application abovereferred to, yit maybe stated thatat the top of the post 13 a laterally projecting, hardenedA disk 17isrprovided having at its center a tubular boss or' bushing 17 whihislitted over the' end ofthe post and is secured thereto by a pin 19.The plane of the disk 17 is preferably slightly inclined with respect tothe axis ofthe post 13 nssrenoa r.ro WHITE SEWING ivrAcnnvE so as tocoincide with the inclination of. the

On the underside of the seat there is secured a plate .2O havingV acircular marginal flange 20a which is secured to 'the seat by screws 21,and inside o1 this flange the plate hasa circular portion 2Ob whichisoifset with respect tothe flange away from the seat so as to form anannular pocket which receives the disk 17. At the center of the offsetpor vtion 20b of the plate 20 there is an opening through whichthetubular portion 17a of the disk projects.

' Y The weight of the occupant of lseat 10 is transmitted to the upperend ot the post 13 and the disk 17, and to prevent undue wear betweenthese parts there is interposed above the post 13 and disk 17 a hardenedwearresisting disk 22, this being immediately beneath the seat 10, asillustrated in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that disk 17 is provided withl annular corrugations17b so as to reduce the wear-resisting surface between the disk 17 andthe disk' 22,V and also between the disk 17 and the offset portion 2()bof the plate 20.

` The means which l have provided'for permitting the easy adjustment ot'the height of the desk or seat and for holding thesame v'in'variouspositions yot yadjustmentconsists ci' a kdog 23 pivetally supported by ascrew 24 between a pair ot laterally projecting fears'251'oi a sleeve orcollar 25 which is` itted onto the'end of the tube 12. The inf ner edgeot this dog engages in a spline groove 13a ot the post 13, and thisportion of the dog is provided with the equivalent of teeth, 'indicatedat 26 in Fig. 2, which are adapted to ,engage the backwall oi groove, asillustrated in that figure. Furthermore, the groove engaging portion ofthe the dog is somewhat cam-shaped so that by depressing the outer endof the dog the post 13 or 14, as the case may be, will be released fromthe tube, allowing the post to be moved up or down. Furthermore, the dogis so shaped that when it is released it will swing by gravity intolocking engagement with the post so as to grip it, the whole being soconstructed that the weight of the seat and of the occupant on it, orthe weight of the desk, has a tendency to increase the gripj pingengagement between the dog and post wardly therefrom, a dog pivotallysupported between said ears outside said standard and having a camportion extending into the standard and into said groove andfrictionally engaging the post to support it in any adjusted position,and means for clamping said dog between said ears to prevent accidentalmovement of the dog.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

CLARENCE E. STEVENS.

again grip the wood at the base of ther i groove in the post and therebylock the post in its new position. The screwr 24 is then again tightenedto prevent accidental or unauthorized operation of the adjusting means.When a downward adjustment is desired, the same procedure is followed,except that it is then necessary to hold the dog 23 out of contact withthe post.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In an article of furniture, a tubular standard, a vertically groovedpost mounted for vertical adjustment in said standard, said standardhaving a collar attached thereto at the upper vend thereof, said collarhaving a'lug extending outwardly therefrom, a dog pivotally connectedwith said lug outside said standard, said standard having a slottherethrough through which said dog extends into said groove, wherebythe dog is adapted to engage said post to support the latter inany'adjusted position.

2. Inl an article of furniture, a tubular standard, a vertically groovedpost mounted for vertical adjustment in said standard, said standardhaving a collar attached thereto at the upper end thereof said collarhaving a pair of spaced ears extending outwardly therefrom, and a dogpivotally supported between said ears outside said standard and having acam portion extending into the standard and into said groove andfrictionally engaging the post tosupport it in anyk adjusted position.

3. In an article of furniture, a tubular standard, a. vertically groovedpost mounted for vertical `adjust-ment in said standard,

said standard having a collar attached there-- to at the upper endthereof, said collar Ahaving a pair of spaced ears extending out-

